Fire service ‘must evolve to face climate change and terrorism’
The fire service should evolve to ensure it is prepared for risks such as terrorist threats and increased flooding and wildfires linked to climate change, Scottish ministers have said.
The Scottish Government has published its Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2022 which sets out ministers' expectationsofthescottishfire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and provides it with priorities and objectives.
It states the overriding purpose of SFRS remains to improve the safety and wellbeing of communities and said thatpreventingfiresandreducingtheirhuman,socialandeconomic impact is a priority for the service.
The framework also said that SFRS "should be alive to the broader challenges facing our communities and evolve to meet new risks".
As the nature and sophistication of the terrorist threat to the country "continues to evolve", it states that SFRS should continue to work closely with its partners in Scotland and across the UK to understand current threats and ensure it has "robust multi-agency and service plans in place" should an attack happen.
It states: "SFRS crews should be prepared to respond appropriatelytopreventfurtherharm to life or infrastructure. As a national service, SFRS should continue to evolve to meet new and emerging risks across communities, including Mass Casualty Events. Going forward, SFRS firefighters should be appropriately trained and equippedtobedeployedaspart of a coordinated multi-agency response to such attacks."
First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, declared a global climate emergency in April 2019 and ministers said that SFRS must continue to address and prepare for new challenges as Scotland faces more extremes of weather.
Climate change is predicted to increase Scotland's rainfall resulting in more severe and widespread flooding, while increased wildfires have also been linked to climate change.
Ministerssaidthatsfrsmust be sufficiently equipped to deal with the effects from wildfires and flooding, in particular, and shouldalsopreventandreduce its own greenhouse gas emissions. They suggest that SFRS should commit to transitioning over to ultra-low emission fleets, renewable energy and heat, low carbon buildings and materials.